Fifth-ranked Lady ‘Cats suffer close loss to top-ranked Miners

The Ray softball team had its chance to beat the defending state champions and current top-ranked San Manuel Miners last Friday night, but they fell just short in a 1-run loss, 3 – 2. Despite the loss, the ‘Cats showed they are capable of competing with the best in the state, and perhaps, being the best.

Player of the Game Stormee Galka pitched brilliantly, limiting the high-scoring Miners to three runs on three hits. None of the runs were earned. She also had nine strikeouts in the game.

Galka helped herself at the plate by going 1-for-2 and driving in one of the ‘Cats two runs in the third inning to give them a 2 – 0 lead heading into the fourth.

The Miners took advantage of the Bearcats’ errors to score two runs in the fourth inning to tie the game. They scored another run in the sixth to earn the victory.

“The errors killed us,” Ray head coach Rikki Galka said after the game.

Savannah Willis and Ymari Contreras each recorded a multi-hit game for the ‘Cats.

Andrew Luberda began writing for Copper Area News Publishers (CANP) in February 2013 after working 15 years in Healthcare Financial Management.
Andy covers sports for 11 high schools. His stories are published in Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner and Superior Sun, in addition to the San Tan Valley Daily PRSS and CopperArea websites. Additionally, he has written human interest stories and business profiles.
In May 2012, he earned an AAS in Sports Management at Central Arizona College before graduating with a BS in Communication from Arizona State University in 2014.
He and his wife, Kelli, have three sons – AJ, Kyle, and Kade.